Damn you Carpal Tunnel

Hey all,

So it's what I feared...looks like it's surgery for my carpal tunnel...I have to make an appointment with a surgeon on Monday and we'll go from there, but my Dr. said that since it hasn't gotten better in the last 4 weeks of doing exercises and wearing the brace then it doesn't look good. I guess I'm alright with it I just want this to be fixed and not have to deal with it anymore...(as I'm typing this it really isn't a pleasant feeling, playing poker doesn't make it feel very good either)

So meh I guess, only shitty thing about it is, my Dr. told me that I won't be able to use my hand for at least a week, it's in a cast type brace and you can't move it for a certain amount of time after the surgery which sucks, since in theory I won't be able to be real productive at work since I have to write down orders, type, then use a mouse for sourcing...wonderful, not the potential vacation I was looking forward to...

Poker has been going pretty good. For the first time I can remember for the last 15K hands my red line has been break even/ a little positive. It probably doesn't sound like a big deal to most of you but I've always had a extremely negative red line and now that it's breaking even/a little positive I'm very happy. I had a sweat session the other week w/ someone who really made me look at it and think I'm not playing the best I could and getting the most out of my game. (letting the $$$ affect my decisions like I get in a habit of doing). So that's definitely making me feel good about my game, no more just throwing $ away in non-showdown pots, which is very +++EV...

Well have a good weekend, my hand is killing me so I can't really type anymore. Later

Weird Weekend

Hey Everyone,

So poker wise this was an extremely weird weekend. I played very well for about 1/2 the sessions I played this weekend and then did really stupid stuff the other 1/2. It's been really weird lately cuz I've really been playing good the last week or so and have actually started to detach myself from the whole money aspect that I've always been so hung up on...(the wife has a job now so poker $$$ isn't really a major part of needed income anymore...)

I've been doing things that I've always know were right but just couldn't get myself to do them because it could sometimes be (to me) spewy, even though it was a +EV move I most of the time just couldn't get myself to pull the trigger, err press the button...

So idk if it's a focus thing or what, whenever it is my time to play I'm always into it and ready (if I'm not then I don't play) so it's just a little strange...A few of the stupid spots I got into were just villain had top of his range, but still it was a roller coaster this weekend, over all I'm up for the weekend but it was definitely not what it should have been.

I was messing around last night late and played some 7-game and I have to say I'm really a fan of it...I played HU (which I've never done before) and it was definitely a fun time and good mix of games. I'm thinking I'm going to start and branch out a little bit and become a "more rounded" player and start to dabble in other games. I've played a decent amount of PLO, but other than that, nothing else of significance. So I'm going to try and play a little bit of that on the weekend when I have more time to play and study, I'm also going to pull out SS2 and read all the other sections that I just briefly skimmed over since I've always just been a NLHE player...It's always good to learn new things!

I have a DR. appointment on Thursday, it's been a month since I've been diagnosed w/ carpal tunnel and this is my appointment to see what the next step is. I can honestly say it really doesn't feel any better and still aches quite regularly (yes I've been wearing my brace and doing the exercises)...I don't really know how I'm going to feel if I need surgery, but I guess I'll cross that bridge when/if I come to it...

Well tomorrow is Monday (LAME!!!) and I need to get to bed. Have a good week everyone.

Unplanned Break

Hey everyone.

So I just got back from my work training. Training is always good imo, so it was nice to get out of my comfort zone and do some new things and get new ideas from other people doing the same thing as me...

I will say that I was extremely upset because the hotel I stayed at was supposed to have high-speed Internet, and supposedly the server crashed on Saturday and they hadn't had it fixed (and i was there Monday-Wednesday) so I had to take a break when I have been playing extremely well as of late and it definitely threw my rhythm off...

Then last night my wife and I went out kid less (always a nice switch) and I actually got to play some live poker (for the first time in over a year). Needless to say I was shocked as I had forgot how bad the live players truly were...I was extremely bored and did a few stupid things, but it was so easy to read players it was unreal. I was up $73 for an hour and a half of play (1/2 NL) so dec I guess...

Well when I came back to the Internet today it was like a different world. I was still in that mentality of "ur horrible and have nothing" and it definitely cost me a BI or 2, I was able to keep up with all the action and tables, but it was definitely a different world. So I think I can say, for me, that Internet poker is definitely the right fit for me...if I had 5-6 hours to play live every night then maybe I wouldn't mind, but I really feel that Internet poker is better suited for me...

So now I just need to really start hyper-focusing again and things will fall into place. I was playing very well before my unscheduled break and I don't think it will take long for me to get back to that point.

I realized while I was gone and thinking about everything that I will have enough points to get the TV I want for our front room w/ my FTP points in November, so needless to say I'm definitely looking forward to that...

One good thing that happened while I was in training was I found paradise... If you smoke cigars, and have never been to a cigar bar before (which I never have) then you can not pass up the chance to go to Smokey Joe's in Fife, it was unreal. Seriously the COOLEST place I've ever been in my life. Add on the fact that they have free wi-fi, and needless to say I can see myself going there to grind on weekends (even though it's 2 hours away from where I live). Everyone was so knowledgeable (even the waitresses) about cigars, it was just a really really cool place, and I can't wait to go back ASAP.

Hope all is well everyone. Have a good weekend.

Weekend

Hey everyone,

Anyone else love days off? Only bad thing is that weekends tend to go way quickly when you're married and have a child, meh i guess.

I just realized that I have some vacation time coming and have to use it before the end of the year, so I'm now trying to figure out when I want to use it. I originally was planning on taking a week or two in December, but can't since the boss is having a kid and is taking his vacation around that time...I don't really want to go anywhere, maybe I'll just take some time in September and get somethings done around the house before winter comes...

So it turns out that I actually do have Carpal Tunnel, I'm wearing a brace atm. Looks like I have to wear it for a month, then if that doesn't work out, looks like surgery. I've been doing some exercises that I found online so that's definitely helped. I guess I really don't care how it happens, I just want it to be fixed, if it requires surgery that would definitely not be coll but as long as it will heal properly and be 100% afterwards that's fine with me...

Poker has been pretty dec lately. I'm actually down 4 BI on the month, I'm down 6 BI in EV atm so i guess at least I'm getting it in good...I've definitely noticed that I'm more relaxed at the table and no worried about losing. I was letting the $ affect me which just made me crazy when I lost and made me play a little passively, which is not a good combo at all...

Coaching has been going good. Just signed up my second student, they're planning on taking the intro session at the end of August or start of September so that will be nice to look forward to. My 1st student says that he is making good progress since our session and he really sounds like he's picking things up quickly, so I don't doubt with more lessons and studying we'll have him bumped up levels in no time.

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Well have a great weekend everyone.

August

Hey Everyone,

So August is here and I'm really looking forward to this month. I just had my first session with my first student and I think it went well. The first session always is fun (at least I think...lol) because you get to get into the students head and see where their decision making process is at. That was definitely fun, and I enjoyed it, as I hope they did as well, but since they wanted another session I'm assuming they did.

I think coaching will really help me think more in depth about the game, after the lesson I put my normal grind in and it really went well...I played really solid and made/noticed sum value spots that I've been missing. My bet-sizing was pretty damn sick also, so needless to say I'm excited about coaching...It's really the best of both worlds I get to help others while I'm learning, and thinking about the game more...total win win.

I just put the sickest order for cigars to finally stock up my humidor that the wife got me for Fathers' Day, (ty FTP mid-year bonus...)I spent the majority of the bonus but it was definitely worth it. I got a box of my absolute favorites (Olivia Serie V) to this point, a box of my second favorites (Gurkha Regent) so far, then 15 extra Gurkhas' to try out and see how I like them...needless to say I'm way pumped to get them and fill the humidor.

Tomorrow could potentially be a huge day at work, and I'm really hoping it is. By the sound of it I have a customer that wants to get one of our special programs and if they do I will totally look like a rock star, and make more $ all at the same time. We'll see how the day goes.

Well that's about it everyone. Hope all is well. Have a good week.